“It sounds like an angry ghost, if it’s not a demon,” Thruor informed me over hot chocolate.

I nodded. “It’s after specific people. Do you think it will leave once sated?”

“Definitely. It didn’t do you any significant damage.”
It had ruined the shoot for me, but I’d been paid anyway. And thanked, and appreciated. The young man, though, had died.

“But it killed its target. If I’d agreed to help them…but they were kind of…”

“They were trying to manipulate you. That’s not something you’re going to tolerate.”

I nodded. “No, but I didn’t want him to get killed. Beaten up a bit, sure, but not killed.”

Thruor nodded. “So. You want to try and…what? Negotiate?”

“Get the other side of the story. Without being beaten up again.” True, he hadn’t wanted to kill me. He hadn’t stopped short of hurting me, and losing a fight wasn’t a feeling I liked.

“Whoever he was, he must have been quite the fighter in life to beat you.”

I blushed slightly at the compliment. “Or I was having an off day, maybe. None of us are perfect.” And I definitely had off days. Everyone else I knew did. Why would I be exempt?

“He’d have to have talent, even on an off day.”

“And speed. He had that too.” I shook my head slightly. “I feel like I just came into contact with the nemesis in my TV show.” Because wasn’t that how it always happened?

Of course, in the TV show, the hero always regrouped and then beat up the bad guy. Guaranteed. This wasn’t a TV show, and I knew I had no guarantees.

Not to mention the fact that I genuinely wanted to hear his side of the story.

“Take Kanesha.”

I blinked.

“She’s good enough to defend herself, but taking her along might make him realize you mean business on talking not fighting.”

I shook my head. “I won’t use her like that. I won’t put her forward as weak or inferior. She’s not.”

“Then ask her how she feels about it. I know she isn’t weak or inferior. He, though, might not realize that.”

But I was still uncomfortable with the entire idea.